Improvement in rotary steam-engines



td tant www @met l (titille. i as" GEORGE W. GOODWYN, 0F PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. lletters Patent No. 83,484, dated October 27, 1868 IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom-fit mayl concern Beit known that I, GEORGE W. Goonwvn, of Petersburg, in the county ofDinwiddie, and State of Virginia, have invented a new and improved Rotary Engine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description oithc construction and operation of the same, reference bei-ng had to the annexed drawings, making a part oi' this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section.

Figure '2 Vis a detached view of the cam u., showing the rear side thereof.

Figure 3 is a top view.

The object of this invention is to furnish a rotary steam-engine which shall be simple and cheap in construction, and shall economizc the power ofthe steam to the .greatest possible extent.

In the drawings, A indicates the rotary cylinder, revolving on a shaft, B, in a circular or annular chamber, C, the joints oi' which are properly packed.

On the perimeter of the cylinder are cams, a. c at a3, which project so far outward as to come in contact with the concave wall of' the chamber C, with which they form steam-tight joints, thereby separating the ammlar space around the cylinder into fom' steam-spaces, c c' c'l c". The cylinder is intended always to move in the direction indicated by the arrows upon it.

, In connection with this cylinder is a sliding abutment, D, working in a socket, E, in the wall of the chamberC, and heilig attached tol a spring, c, by which its lower end is forced against the perimeter of the `cylinder, as seen in l. The end in contact with the cylinder is hevelled, as seen att', and friction-rolls, fr r,

may be provided, to diminish the ii'iction ofthe sliding abutment against the walls of its socket.

`As the cylinder rotates, the abutment lides easily up on the inclined front side, m, of' the cams (t a, and when their summit has Ypassed beneath it, it drops quickly. down behind their abrupt rear wallsm.. In order to prevent its falling here too abruptly, and producing a great jar in the running ofthe engine, I cause it .to slide down slightly-inclined ways o o, behind each cam, by which it quickly reaches the bottom of its descent, with but little. concussion and jar of thc working parts.

rLhe cylinder, chamber, and abutment, being thus constructed, I feed the live steam through the port G, causing it to enter "behind the cam a the moment the abutment is'scated at the bottom-of the incline 0,'a`nd,

by the direct' action of the live steam, to force the cyl-l inder round till the cam reaches any 'suitable point,say

x, where I cnt off the steam, and move the cylinder tillthe steam exhausts at F, by means solely of the expansive power of the steam in the space c.

The valve-gear which I employ in connection with this engine, is peculiar, combining extreme simplicity with perfect adj ustability. It consists of a circular rotary valve, H, iixed to a short spindle, I, with which it revolves, and working in a stearnchest, J, in such a manner that during the most of its revolution on the spindle, its solid disk covers the steam-port G, and prevents the feeding of the steam to the cylindcr, wl1ile at certain points in its revolution, apertures c Iu e e in it, take' position over the steam-port, and permit the passage of the live steam from the steam-chest to the cylinder. '.lhe valve and steam-chest being thus arranged,` I attach to the spindle I, outside of the steam chest, several arms, tt t t, corresponding in number with the holes c c fu ein the valve H, and with the cams a. ay a a on the cylinder, and I iiX to the shaft B the same number of arms, R R R R, making the lat- Vter so long, and placing them in such a position that,

as the shaft B rotates, the arms R R of said shaft will successively strike the arms t t of the spindle, and partial-ly rotate the latter, and with it the valve H.

' Now, byproperly arranging the arms on the shaft,

- those on the spindle, the cams c c c a, the holes o c c e,

and the induction and ednctionfports, the engine can be made to work its own valves, and to let on or out oli the steam at any desired points in the revolution of the shaft; and by altering the length or position of the arms t t, or the position of the arms R R, or the size, shape, or position of the apertm'es fc (v, the cut-off can be adjusted, regulated, and controlled, as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention,

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1: The combination of the rotary valve H with the arms t t t, It It R, when so constructed and .operating that, by the rotation of the main shaft, the arms R R shall be caused to strike and turn the valve'H, substantially as described.

2. The arrangement of the shaft B with the arms fR. lt It, t t t, the rotary valve H, and the inductionport G, substantially as described.

To the above specification of my invention, I have signed my hand, this 21st day of April, 1868.

, GEO. W. GOODWYN. Witnesses:

01ans. A. ]EETTIT, l SoLoN C. KEMQN. 

